From Andalusia And Back Poem by Doug Blair

You left your sheep
And certainty
For dreams of
Far away.
And father’s warnings
Missed the mark
“Home castles
Worth the stay”.
And now you find
Gibraltar past.
A thief has slipped
Your purse.
Melchizedek
And prophecy
Have met with
Things much worse.
The omens come
And go by chance.
The glassware shop,
The gain.
The old man most
Appreciative,
But all his dreams
In vain.
Again you go.
The desert calls
And sings of
Egypt’s prize.
In caravan
You learn the life
Of sands that change
And skies.
You learn the life
Of water’s worth,
Domestic tents
And palms.
Of hawks that soar
And warfare’s lore.
Of one maid’s smile
That calms.
And wandering once
By night from camp
The sight of dreams
Grown dim.
You come upon
The Alchemist
On horse with sword
And grim.
He knows about
Your treasure.
He knows its lure
And call.
He strengthens you
To re-commit.
He’ll see you through
It all.
His metaphysic
Charms the mind.
His world view
Warms the heart.
A Consciousness
Has held the boy
In safety from
The start.
And so he braves
The waning miles.
The pyramids
Arise.
And stranger still
The outcome in
The rest, the girl,
The prize.